UBTECH, FAW-Volkswagen to test humanoid robots in plants

UBTECH and FAW-Volkswagen will jointly develop and test AI-enabled humanoid robots for factory logistics, expanding a Qingdao inspection pilot with the Walker S Lite. The programme will create on-site test facilities to assess real-world performance.

UBTECH and FAW-Volkswagen announced yesterday they will jointly develop and test humanoid robots for logistics in Volkswagen production plants.

The collaboration will focus on developing test scenarios, evaluating AI-enabled humanoid robots for factory logistics and smart manufacturing, and creating pilot sites to assess performance in real production environments.

The agreement builds on earlier work in Qingdao where FAW-Volkswagen used UBTECH's Walker S Lite humanoid robot for vehicle quality inspection; that robot was integrated with the plant's automated control system.

The new deal extends the partnership beyond inspection to include logistics as an official development area, intended to help enable more flexible production as demand for personalized vehicles rises.

Adoption of humanoid robots in automotive manufacturing is expanding as manufacturers seek to speed production and address labour shortages. For example, BMW has used Boston Dynamics robots in its plants and production lines since last year.

Companies will establish on-site test facilities to evaluate the robots' performance under real-world production conditions.

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